


The Birthday Present

by Joe_Reaves



Category: Primeval
Genre: Alternate Reality, Angst, Episode Related, Established Relationship, Fix-It, Fluff, M/M, Porn With Plot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-03-28
Updated: 2011-03-28
Packaged: 2017-10-17 08:36:29
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,970
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/174938
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Joe_Reaves/pseuds/Joe_Reaves
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Nick comes home to a surprise.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Birthday Present

**Author's Note:**

> For Kerry, the best big brother in the world. Thanks to Gil for the beta.

Nick wandered through the corridors of the ARC. As he moved, the lights turned on and off, tracking his progress through the building. He really hated this place with its modern steel doors and its modern glass walls, which made it feel something like a high tech goldfish bowl.

He was the only person left in the building besides the cleaners and the skeleton crew of soldiers still on call. Even Lester had gone home over an hour ago.

If Stephen was there he'd tell Nick to stop moping and go home, he needed as much beauty sleep as he could get and tomorrow was bound to be a long day. They all were since the showdown with Helen and Leek. But Stephen wasn't there and that was the problem.

He'd left almost as soon as he'd been discharged from the hospital, heading for Africa or maybe South America, Nick couldn't remember which, just that he'd gone to work on a conservation project thousands of miles away from Helen and her mind games; from the ARC; from prehistoric creatures with too many teeth and too little sense to run away from the glowing lights of an anomaly; and, most importantly, away from Nick.

Most days he managed to push Stephen's absence to the back of his mind where it no longer hurt, just nagged at him like a missing tooth, but sometimes he couldn't help probing the gap, reminding himself of the pain and the ache and the knowledge that something, someone, was missing that shouldn't be.

Today was especially bad, because it was his birthday. He'd kept that knowledge secret from Connor and Abby and the rest of his colleagues at the ARC. He'd never been one for celebrating, even back when he was with Helen, not liking the reminder that he was inevitably getting older, but then Stephen had found out, completely by accident, and started insisting that he do something, even if it was just a take away in front of the telly or a trip to the pub together.

He sighed and ran a hand through his already messy hair before resolutely striding towards the exit. He really was getting ridiculously maudlin in his old age, he thought. It was just a day like any other. There was nothing special about the knowledge that he was another day, another year, another decade older. He'd been perfectly happy not celebrating his birthday before he met Stephen; there was no reason not to be perfectly happy now that Stephen was gone.

Repeating that to himself like a mantra he got into his car and drove home. He'd shove a ready meal in the microwave and eat it in front of the news and then go to bed. It was just a normal day.

When he unlocked his front door there was a glow coming from the living room and he cursed. He was sure he'd turned the television off before he left this morning. He must have forgotten and left it going all day. Yet another sign of his advancing years – a worsening memory! Not that it had been anything to write home about to start with.

He pushed the door open and then stopped in shock. The room was softly lit and sitting on the table in front of the couch were a neatly wrapped gift and a cupcake with a single candle stuck into it. He looked around in confusion, but other than the gift and the cake the room looked the same as when he'd left it this morning.

He blew the candle out and closed his eyes, making a wish under his breath. He shook his head at his foolishness, but it was what his mother had always insisted on doing whenever anyone had had a birthday during his childhood. Picking the present up carefully he turned it over, looking for some sign of who it was from.

It was wrapped really messily, so that ruled out Helen, thank goodness. Presents from her were always impeccably wrapped, with the edges sharply folded and the tape neatly covering every join. He carefully opened the parcel and ran his fingers over the cover of the book within. It was a book he'd wanted for a while but it was out of print and he'd never been able to lay his hands on it. He smiled delightedly; whoever it was from had really taken care to choose something he wanted.

Glancing down he saw a note on the table where the present had been. His heart seemed to stutter and then start pounding like he was facing a velociraptor, because the handwriting was achingly familiar.

The note told him that his real present was waiting in the bedroom and he tossed the book carelessly onto the table and took the stairs two at a time, practically running into the bedroom and then coming to a screeching halt in the doorway. Stephen was stretched out on the bed, long, tanned limbs contrasting with the dark sheets, his clothes scattered around the room as he had waited, naked, for Nick to come home.

“Stephen, I … what are you doing here?” Nick asked, letting his eyes wander shamelessly over the naked expanse of Stephen's body.

“It's your birthday,” Stephen said softly. “We always spend it together and I thought, I hoped, you might have missed me...”

His voice rose slightly in a question and his eyes dropped away from Nick's face as he waited for an answer.

“God, I did, so much, Stephen. I'm sorry we weren't on better terms when you left. I thought you'd gone for good and … I did miss you. Are you home to stay?”

Stephen smiled brightly and stretched enticingly. “Do you want me to be?”

“I didn't want you to leave in the first place," Nick complained.

Stephen sat up and wrapped his arms around his knees. “That's not what it felt like at the time. You weren't talking to me and there just didn't seem to be any point in sticking around.”

Nick finally broke free of his paralysis and strode over to the bed. He dropped onto the bed and wrapped an arm around Stephen's shoulder, pulling him close. “I'm so sorry, Stephen. I didn't know what to say. You were so brave going into that room and I didn't deserve it. I'd been treating you horribly all year and you still did that to protect me. I didn't know how to thank you and then you left.”

Stephen wriggled around and kissed him softly. “You're an idiot, sometimes, Nick. I could no more have let you walk into that room than I could stop breathing. Do you still not have any idea how much I love you?”

Nick gasped. He couldn't believe he'd never realised how Stephen felt. “I thought it was just me,” he whispered

Groaning, Stephen pulled him into a longer kiss. “God, Nick, there are bacteria on Mars who know how I feel about you! I always thought that the reason you never mentioned it was because you didn't want anything more than sex between us.”

Nick cupped his cheek and kissed him once more. “Why would you want anything more than that from me? You could have anyone you wanted; I couldn't imagine you'd want me. Why did you come back if you thought I didn't feel the same?”

“I thought it was worth the risk. I was hoping that after the time apart you'd want to at least see if we could be friends again and I was hoping you'd be mellow enough since it was your birthday that I'd be able to seduce you.”

“Idiot. As if there was ever any chance I would be able to resist you. I've been missing you all day and wishing you were here to share my birthday with me and then when I finally got home, there you were.” He kissed Stephen and pushed him flat, covering him with his body. “You're the best birthday present I could have.”

Stephen ran his hands down Nick's body, squeezing his arse firmly. “Well let's get you out of those clothes then so you can play with your present!”

Nick laughed delightedly. “God, I love you!” He jumped to his feet and scrambled out of his clothes, hurling them around the room as he discarded them. He almost threw himself back onto the bed again, kissing Stephen messily.

Stephen wrapped his arms around Nick and pulled him to lie on top of him again, spreading his legs so Nick could settle between them. He ran his blunt nails along Nick's back, scratching the skin lightly and then squeezing his arse again. “That's better. I've missed your gorgeous, freckly body.”

Nick blushed. “Get on with you. I'm too pale, too freckled, too ginger, and too squishy around the middle. Look at you! You've always been fit but that tan makes you even sexier. I can't believe you're all mine.”

“I like my freckled, ginger, squishy Cutter,” Stephen insisted. He rolled them over and straddled Nick's hips, running his hands gently over Nick's abdomen. “I love you like this. I wouldn't want some hard-muscled gym body. I want you with your soft, furry tummy and all your freckles. One day I'm going to count them and kiss every single one.”

Nick moaned and brought his hands up to rest on Stephen's hips. “You can do anything you like.”

“I want your cock in my arse. I want to feel you and know I'm really home.” He wriggled, rubbing his hard cock against Nick's and drawing a hungry groan from the other man.

“God yes, I want that too, but I was going to ask you to fuck me,” Nick said.

Stephen shuddered. “You've never wanted that before. You don't have to do it just for me. I'm perfectly happy to let you keep topping. I don't want you to be anything but your normal, stubborn self.”

Nick blushed and ran his hands up and down Stephen's back almost unconsciously as he spoke. “I do want it, Stephen. I never asked before because I thought it was just sex and ...” He looked away, embarrassed. “I didn't want to do it with just anyone.”

“Fuck!” Stephen leant down and kissed him, forcing his tongue past Nick's lips and sweeping it through his mouth possessively. “Christ, Nick, are you saying you've never let anyone have you before?”

Nick's face was getting redder by the second. “You're only the second bloke I've ever gone to bed with and the first was just a casual thing when I was a student. Look, you don't have to if you don't want.”

“Of course I want to, you prat! I swear I'll make you feel so good.” He moved to one side and ran his hands over Nick's hips gently. “If you change your mind, just say. I don't want to hurt you.”

“I'm not some blushing virgin,” Nick said grumpily. “I know what I want.” He rolled over and spread his legs. “The lube's in the drawer.”

Stephen stroked Nick's arse reverently. “I'll get it in a minute. I have something else I want to do first.” He stretched out and propped himself up on one elbow, before leaning down and gently nipping at Nick's arse.

Nick groaned and pushed back eagerly. “Fuck yes. I love it when you do that.” He rose up onto all fours and spread his legs wantonly, knowing what was coming next. “Don't tease, Stephen. I need you.”

It was Stephen's turn to groan. “You have no idea what it does to me when you say that.” He took hold of Nick's arse and spread the cheeks, leaning forward to lick at the tiny entrance. He didn't waste time teasing the other man like he usually would, instead diving right in and pushing his tongue inside. He fucked Nick like that until his jaw started to ache and then pulled back regretfully. “Are you really sure you want this?”

“Yes, please, Stephen. I want your cock in my arse and I want you to fuck me so hard we make the bed shake. Come on, get on with it. I don't want to wait any longer.”

Stephen grabbed the lube from the drawer where it was always kept and coated one finger, carefully pushing it into Nick's body and moaning when he accepted it easily. There was no resistance and already Nick was pushing back and fucking himself on Stephen's finger.

“Christ, Nick, I thought you'd be tenser than this. You're taking it really easily.”

“Used to fuck myself with a toy and imagine it was you,” Nick admitted, blushing again. “Always wanted to do this with you but I thought if I let you it would hurt too much when you ended things.”

“Idiot,” Stephen said fondly, the images Nick's words conjured up making his cock twitch desperately. “As if I could ever have you and give you up.”

He pushed a second finger into Nick, twisting them and rubbing insistently against his prostate, loving how the other man gasped and moaned and writhed against him.

“One more and then I'm going to slide them out and replace them with my cock. I'm going to make sure you never want anyone else.”

“Never,” Nick gasped. “Please, Stephen, I can't wait much longer. I'm going to come before you even get in me if you don't hurry up, and I don't want to. I want to come with your cock buried balls deep in my arse.”

“Love hearing you say things like that,” Stephen admitted. “It makes me harder than hell when you say such obscene things in that delicious accent of yours.” He pushed a third finger into Nick's body and thrust them in and out a couple of times before hurriedly pulling them out again and coating his cock in the lube. “Are you ready?”

“God, Stephen, how many more times do I have to ask? Just do it!”

Stephen chuckled as he lined the head of his cock up with Nick's twitching hole. He gripped one of Nick's hips tightly and used the other hand to steady himself as he pushed inside slowly, feeling Nick's body close around him as he did.

They both moaned at the feeling.

“You feel so good,” Nick told him. “Better than any toy.” He squeezed his arse around Stephen's cock. “Now fuck me hard. I want to feel it all day tomorrow.”

Stephen pulled almost all the way out and then slammed back in again, starting a hard, fast rhythm that made Nick cry out in pleasure.

Nick pushed back eagerly, seemingly intent on doing at least half of Stephen's work for him and fucking himself on the other man's cock.

Stephen dropped his head to rest against Nick's sweat-slicked back. “Can't last if you do that,” he groaned.

“I don't want you to. Want you wild and desperate,” Nick ground out. “I want to feel you lose control.”

Stephen reached around and took Nick's cock in his hand, gently running his calloused finger over the sensitive head even as he continued to take the other man hard.

It didn't take long before Nick lost his battle for control and came, shooting his come over Stephen's fingers, the shudders that racked his body pulling Stephen's orgasm from him as well.

They collapsed to the bed and Stephen carefully pulled out, rolling onto his back and tugging Nick round until his head was resting on Stephen's shoulder. They lay there for a moment, both breathing heavily and savouring the feeling of being back together after so long.

“I know you might not want to stay for good,” Nick said quietly. “I can't imagine you ever want to see another dinosaur, but this time when you leave, don't go without a word. Give me a chance to come with you.” He looked up at Stephen, the emotion clear in his eyes.

Stephen swallowed hard and reached out to brush the backs of his fingers against Nick's cheek. “You don't want to leave the ARC. You love the anomaly project.”

“I love you more,” Nick told him hoarsely. “I've spent the last few months trying to pretend there wasn't a huge gaping hole in my life without you and I don't want to have to pretend anymore.”

Stephen wrapped his arms even more tightly around him. “Would Lester have me back, do you think? I know you fired me, but I still went and fought Leek's sand scorpion for him. That should count for something.”

Nick sat up and looked down at him. “He'd have you back in a shot, Stephen. We're short handed as it is and I wouldn't let him replace you. You're the only one I really trust to have my back. Are you sure you want to come back, though? Don't do it just for me. I don't want you to be unhappy.”

“I miss the project and Abby and Connor,” Stephen admitted. “I even miss Lester, but don't tell him that. I'd love to come back and work with you all again.”

Nick grinned. “Then come into work with me tomorrow. We'll shock the hell out of everybody and then while they're still stunned I'll tell Lester you're back on the project and dare him to disagree. He'll just be glad to have someone to keep me in line!”

Stephen laughed and pulled him down for a hungry kiss. “Maybe I'll kiss you in the middle of the ARC and really shock them all.” He stretched over and turned the light off. “Get some sleep, Nick. Tomorrow's going to be a long day. Especially if I have to do all the paperwork you've no doubt let get out of control since I left!”


End file.
